Watercraft

Claim 2

A watercraft comprising: a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal pontoons, a mid-hull secured to and carried between said pontoons and with its bottom spaced above the flotation waterline of the total watercraft, said mid-hull having a bottom wall with upstanding peripheral walls, the interior surface of said bottom being inclined relative to the normal flotation waterline of said watercraft, said mid-hull interior bottom surface being slanted in two directions, said two directions forming an inverted generally crowned bottom interior, and two self-bailing water discharge orifices in a wall of the mid-hull at the lowermost side zones of said inverted generally crowned bottom interior.

Claim 3

A watercraft comprising, a hull having a bouyant water-engaging flotation section, and longitudinally extending, laterally protruding, lateral-flow-restricting stabilization strip flanges disposed beneath the normal waterline of said water-engaging flotation section, said hull comprising two longitudinally extending, laterally spaced pontoons, each forming a bouyant water-engaging flotation section, and each said flotation section having said longitudinally extending laterally protruding lateral-flow-restricting stabilization strip flanges disposed thereon, said pontoons being substantially flat bottomed, and said longitudinally extending stabilization strip flanges extending from opposite sides of each of said pontoons adjacent said flat bottom, said stabilization strip flanges forming a lateral continuation extension of said flat bottom, and further said longitudinally extending stabilization strip flanges extending from said opposite sides of said pontoons and spaced above said bottom extension strip flanges.

Claim 4

A watercraft comprising, a hull having a bouyant water-engaging flotation section, and longitudinally extending, laterally protruding, lateral-flow-restricting stabilization strip flanges disposed beneath the normal waterline of said water-engaging flotation section, said hull comprising two longitudinally extending, laterally spaced pontoons, each forming a bouyant water-engaging flotation section, and each said flotation section having said longitudinally extending laterally protruding lateral-flow-restricting stabilization strip flanges disposed thereon, said pontoons being substantially flat bottomed, and said longitudinally extending stabilization strip flanges extending from opposite sides of each of said pontoons adjacent said flat bottom, said stabilization strip flanges forming a lateral continuation extension of said flat bottom, and further said longitudinally extending stabilization strip flanges extending from said opposite sides of said pontoons and spaced above said bottom extension strip flanges.

Claim 5

A watercraft according to claim 2, said further longitudinally extending stabilization strip flanges comprising dual purpose elastic bumper strips extending peripherally along said pontoons.

Claim 6

A watercraft according to claim 3, further comprising: front and rear cross-brace connectors connecting between said pontoons, said bumper strips extending also around the peripherally outer surfaces of said front and rear cross-brace connections.

Claim 7

A watercraft comprising, a hull having a bouyant water-engaging flotation section, and longitudinally extending, laterally protruding, lateral-flow-restricting stabilization strip flanges disposed beneath the normal waterline of said water-engaging flotation section, said hull comprising two longitudinally extending, laterally spaced pontoons, each forming a bouyant water-engaging flotation section, and each said flotation section having said longitudinally extending laterally protruding lateral-flow-restricting stabilization strip flanges disposed thereon, said pontoons being substantially flat bottomed, anD said longitudinally extending stabilization strip flanges extending from opposite sides of each of said pontoons adjacent said flat bottom, said stabilization strip flanges forming a lateral continuation extension of said flat bottom, and a vertical T-strip keel flange extending along the flat bottom of each of said pontoons and being adapted for joint attachment thereto of a common hydrofoil, said pontoons being interiorly vertically braced in the longitudinal zone thereof generally vertical aligned with said bottom keel strip flange.

Claim 8

A watercraft comprising, a hull having a bouyant water-engaging flotation section, and longitudinally extending, laterally protruding, lateral-flow-restricting stabilization strip flanges disposed beneath the normal waterline of said water-engaging flotation section, said hull comprising two longitudinally extending, laterally spaced pontoons, each forming a bouyant water-engaging flotation section, and each said flotation section having said longitudinally extending laterally protruding lateral-flow-restricting stabilization strip flanges disposed thereon, said pontoons being substantially flat bottomed, anD said longitudinally extending stabilization strip flanges extending from opposite sides of each of said pontoons adjacent said flat bottom, said stabilization strip flanges forming a lateral continuation extension of said flat bottom, and a vertical T-strip keel flange extending along the flat bottom of each of said pontoons and being adapted for joint attachment thereto of a common hydrofoil, said pontoons being interiorly vertically braced in the longitudinal zone thereof generally vertical aligned with said bottom keel strip flange.

Claim 9

A watercraft according to claim 5, said pontoons having internal lateral, vertical, and longitudinal bracing with flotation foam therearound and therebetween.

Claim 10

A watercraft according to claim 6, said internal lateral, vertical and longitudinal bracing comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced T-braces, each formed of cross and inter-secured angle strips joined by an effectively common longitudinal vertical-bend-stiffing strip inter-secured thereto, and a surface skin secured over and to each of said T-braces and longitudinal strip.

Claim 11

A watercraft according to claim 7, said T-braces and effectively common longitudinal strip being welded into inter-secured relation at their respective junctions, and the said T-braces being welded to said surface skin at at least a major portion of their respective junctions.

Claim 12

A watercraft according to claim 8, two cross-brace connectors connecting respectively across the front and rear of said pontoons, and spaced above the normal waterline of said watercraft, and a mid-hull personnel-carrying cockpit section spaced from and between said cross-brace connectors and having its bottom disposed above the normal flotation waterline of said watercraft.

Claim 13

A watercraft according to claim 9, the forward said cross-brace connector having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined lower surface spaced above the normal flotation waterline of said watercraft.

Claim 14

A watercraft according to claim 10, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined propeller spray deflector plate disposed rearwardly of said mid-hull personnel-carrying cockpit section and between said cockpit section and said rear cross-brace connector.

Claim 15

A watercraft according to claim 11, both of said cross-brace connectors having oppositely inclined lower surfaces spaced above the normal water flotation waterline of said watercraft.

Claim 16

A watercraft according to claim 5, said mid-hull cockpit section having a bottom with a plurality of exterior longitudinally extending bracing stringer downwardly depending strip flanges disposed generally normal to and along the lower exterior surface of said bottom to provide longitudinal vertical-bend bracing with minimum longitudinal water flow restriction and to enable unencumbered longitudinally brace-free bottom interior surface formation.

Claim 17

A watercraft according to claim 13, said mid-hull cockpit section having a tapered forward nose section, and having a rearwardly, downwardly slanted bottom surface with an inverted generally crowned surface portion adjacent its rear end zone, and gravity-flow water discharge self-bailers, one disposed at each rear corner zone of said inverted crowned surface portion of said mid-hull cockpit section and above the normal flotation waterline of said watercraft.

Claim 18

A watercraft comprising: a mid-hull cockpit secured to and suspended between a pair of flotation pontoons and above the normal flotation waterline thereof through lateral cockpit-to-pontoon connection means, and two cross-brace connectors additional to the structure of said cockpit and additional to said lateral cockpit-to-pontoon connection means connecting respectively across the front and rear ends of said pontoons and spaced above the normal waterline of said watercraft and movable below the waterline and into engagement with the water upon respective forward or rearward pitching of the watercraft, aNd being spaced forwardly and rearwardly respectively of said mid-hull cockpit.

Claim 19

A watercraft comprising: a mid-hull cockpit secured to and suspended between a pair of flotation pontoons and above the normal flotation waterline thereof through lateral cockpit-to-pontoon connection means, and two cross-brace connectors additional to the structure of said cockpit and additional to said lateral cockpit-to-pontoon connection means connecting respectively across the front and rear ends of said pontoons and spaced above the normal waterline of said watercraft and movable below the waterline and into engagement with the water upon respective forward or rearward pitching of the watercraft, aNd being spaced forwardly and rearwardly respectively of said mid-hull cockpit.

Claim 20

A watercraft according to claim 15, said cross-brace connectors having oppositely inclined lower surfaces.

Claim 21

A watercraft comprising, a mid-hull cockpit secured to and suspended between a pair of flotation pontoons and above the normal flotation waterline thereof, and two cross-brace connectors connecting respectively across the front and rear of said pontoons and spaced above the normal waterline of said watercraft, said cross-brace connectors having oppositely inclined lower surfaces, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined propeller spray deflector disposed rearwardly of said mid-hull cockpit, and between said mid-hull cockpit and said rear cross brace connector, said propeller spray deflector being spaced from the rear of said mid-hull cockpit.

Claim 22

A watercraft comprising, a mid-hull cockpit secured to and suspended between a pair of flotation pontoons and above the normal flotation waterline thereof, and two cross-brace connectors connecting respectively across the front and rear of said pontoons and spaced above the normal waterline of said watercraft, said cross-brace connectors having oppositely inclined lower surfaces, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined propeller spray deflector disposed rearwardly of said mid-hull cockpit, and between said mid-hull cockpit and said rear cross brace connector, said propeller spray deflector being spaced from the rear of said mid-hull cockpit.

Claim 23

A watercraft according to claim 17, said mid-hull cockpit having a bottom with a plurality of exterior longitudinally extending bracing stringer strip flanges disposed generally normally to and along the lower exterior surface of said bottom to provide longitudinal bracing with minimum longitudinal water flow restriction and to enable unencumbered longitudinally brace-free bottom interior surface formation.

Claim 24

A watercraft according to claim 18, said mid-hull cockpit having a rearwardly downwardly slanted interior deck surface, and gravity-flow self-bailing water discharge orifices, one disposed at each of the rear corner zones of said mid-hull cockpit and above the normal flotation waterline of said watercraft.

Claim 25

A watercraft comprising, a mid-hull cockpit secured to and suspended between a pair of flotation pontoons and above the normal flotation waterline thereof, and two cross-brace connectors connecting respectively across the front and rear of said pontoons and spaced above the normal waterline of said watercraft, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined spray deflector secured between said pontoons and disposed in spaced relation rearwardly of said mid-hull cockpit, said spray deflector comprising a pivoted plate pivotally secured at its rear end zone to said rear cross-brace-connector, the pivot line therefor extending along the lower rear edge of said deflector.

Claim 26

A watercraft comprising, a mid-hull cockpit secured to and suspended between a pair of flotation pontoons and above the normal flotation waterline thereof, and two cross-brace connectors connecting respectively across the front and rear of said pontoons and spaced above the normal waterline of said watercraft, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined spray deflector secured between said pontoons and disposed in spaced relation rearwardly of said mid-hull cockpit, said spray deflector comprising a pivoted plate pivotally secured at its rear end zone to said rear cross-brace-connector, the pivot line therefor extending along the lower rear edge of said deflector.

Claim 27

A watercraft comprising, a mid-hull cockpit secured to and suspended between a pair of flotation pontoons and above the normal flotation waterline thereof, and a cross-brace connector connecting across the rear of said pontoons and spaced above the normal waterline of said watercraft, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined propeller spray deflector disposed rearwardly of said mid-hull cockpit, and between said mid-hull cockpit and said rear cross brace connector, said propeller spray deflector being spaced from the rear of said mid-hull cockpit.

Claim 28

A watercraft comprising, a mid-hull cockpit secured to and suspended between a pair of flotation pontoons and above the normal flotation waterline thereof, and a cross-brace connector connecting across the rear of said pontoons and spaced above the normal waterline of said watercraft, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined propeller spray deflector disposed rearwardly of said mid-hull cockpit, and between said mid-hull cockpit and said rear cross brace connector, said propeller spray deflector being spaced from the rear of said mid-hull cockpit.

Claim 29

A watercraft comprising, a mid-hull cockpit secured to and suspended between a pair of flotation pontoons and above the normal flotation waterline thereof through lateral cockpit-to-pontoon connection means, and two cross-brace connectors additional to the structure of said cockpit and additional to said lateral cockpit-to-pontoon connection means and connection respectively across the front and rear ends of said pontoons and spaced above the normal waterline of said watercraft and movable below the waterline and into engagement with the water upon respective forward or rearward pitching of the watercraft, said cross-brace connectors having respectively forwardly and rearwardly extending oppositely inclined lower surfaces.

Claim 30

A watercraft comprising, a mid-hull cockpit secured to and suspended between a pair of flotation pontoons and above the normal flotation waterline thereof through lateral cockpit-to-pontoon connection means, and two cross-brace connectors additional to the structure of said cockpit and additional to said lateral cockpit-to-pontoon connection means and connection respectively across the front and rear ends of said pontoons and spaced above the normal waterline of said watercraft and movable below the waterline and into engagement with the water upon respective forward or rearward pitching of the watercraft, said cross-brace connectors having respectively forwardly and rearwardly extending oppositely inclined lower surfaces.